Every child or teen who wants to play in a sport or engage in other school activities like cheerleading must have a sports physical or a preparticipation physical examination. They also need a sports physical to clear them to return to their activities if they suffer an injury or become ill during the season.
The purpose of a sports physical is to be sure your child can safely participate in sports. Suddenly starting high-intensity workouts and engaging in competitive sports can quickly aggravate a pre-existing problem or lead to a preventable injury when an exam discovers potential problems.
Although a sports physical may find a problem that prevents your child from participating, in most cases, the examination results guide decisions. The exam reveals problems that our providers can treat before your child starts a sport, and shows if your child needs extra training to get in shape to safely participate.
